A Study of Australasian Trade Tokens

Gray, S. A Study of Australasian Trade Tokens. An Illustrated Reference. Perth, 2013. 216 pages, full size colour illustrations throughout and complete with rarity guides and up to date valuations. Casebound. Limited to 500 copies.
This 216 page book, with its huge number of colour images, is a completely updated study of the merchant tokens of Australia and New Zealand, being the first major work on this subject since the standard reference of Dr Arthur Andrews in 1921. The 1850’s were turbulent years in Australia and New Zealand, dominated by changing social, political, and economic events. Gold rushes in both countries saw swelling of the population and rapidly growing economies, thus accelerating the requirement for all forms of goods and services. Merchants had been plagued by severe shortage of small change for years and ultimately took matters into their own hands. Quite independently of any governing authority, many businesses and individuals arranged for the production of their own currency to facilitate trade. This catalogue provides images and enhanced identification details for all known Australasian trade tokens along with their relative rarity and an indication of base prices. It also includes new and previously unpublished token types making this the definitive reference for all collectors.